Odometer.



- P. 0. DORER.

ODOMETER. AP'PLIUATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1912.

1,1 1 7, 349, l Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

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f 7' Rim? W y www QQZr/zQ/ rHEA NoRRls PETERS CU.. FHOTOALITHG., WASHINGTON. D. C,

P. O. DUREE.

ODOMETER.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1912.

l, 1 1 7, 849, l Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PRIMUS OTTO DORER, OF LEE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO S. SMITH & SON, LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

ODOMETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Application filed September 7, 1912. Serial No. 719,221.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, PRIMUs O'r'ro Donna, a subject of thefKing of England, residing at Lee,in the county of Kent, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Odometers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to odometers of the type in which, in addition to a totalizing train which registers the total distance traversed, there is a second train which is susceptible of being reset to zero at will and which thus registers thev distance traversed or trip made subsequent to the last resetting. This second train will hereinafter be referred to as the trip-registering train. This term is not intended to convey that the mechanism is altripped mechanism, but that it registers the extent of a journey or trip as distinct from the total distance traveled since the odometer was installed. The resetting of the trip registering train in odometers of this type is effected by mechanism which disengages the first member of the train from its cooperating element or elements and then returns it to Zero, and by the same action causes the other registering membersof the train also to returnto zero.

According to the present invention a single moving member is employed in the resetting mechanism of an odometerA of the type described which directly effectsk both lthe disengagement and the resetting either of the first member only of the train or of several members thereof.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a front elevation of a train having a resetting mechanism according to this invention, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in F ig. 1, in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a detail.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

WVithin a short cylindrical case A having a lowerl rectangular projection A1 are mounted the mechanisms serving both to indicate speed and to register distance traveled. The present invention does not relate to the former mechanism, which is merely referred to owing to the usual practice of inclosing the two within the same housing. The driving mechanism, which need not be referred .to in anydetail since it forms no part of .the present invention, imparts rotation to@ wheel B which forms the rst member of the usual totalizing train. Each member of this train carries disks C on which the total distance `traveled is registered. The wheel `B also engages with a wheel D1 which constitutes the first member of the trip-registering train. Each member of this train consists of four elements, all rigidly mountcd upon a single sleeve. The four elements are-a star-wheel, a ratchet-wheel, a disk carrying a single tooth, and a numeral-bearing disk, with, however, the exceptions that the first member of the train in the construction illustrated does not bear a numeral-carrying disk and the last member of the train is not provided with a tooth-carrying disk. Each ratchet-wheel is of nine teeth, cut and spaced, however, as for a wheel of ten teeth, the tenth tooth being cut away forming `a gap or blank. Spring arms are provided to engage with the star-wheels and act as retaining pawls.

The train illustrated comprises four members, and the above elements in each member are correspondingly lettered. but with the suiiixes l, 2, 3 and 4 to identify them with the particular member of which they form part. Thus the star-wheels are seen at D1, and D3, the ratchet-wheels at El, E2, E3 and E4, while the tooth-carrying disks are lettered F, the teeth on such disks G, the numeral-carrying disks H, the gaps in the ratchet-wheels J and the spring retainingpawls K, all with appropriate suiiixes.

The train is mounted upon a plate L carrying pins U, upon which the members of the train rotate. The first member of the train differs from the others in that, instead of the sleeve carrying its four elements rotating freely upon a pin which is rigidly carried by the plate, the sleeve of this first member is iXed upon the spindle M which rotates in bearings, one provided in the plate L and the other provided by a cock L1 mounted thereon. The spindle M projects `through the bearing in the plate L and bears against av tongue O1, to which further reference is made hereinafter. The spindle is kept in engagement with the tongue O1 by a split plate-spring P bearing upon the outer face of the disk F1. The tongue OL is formed by the right-hand end of a steel plate O pivot-ed to the plate L at Q. and controlled by a spring Q1 about the pivot Q,

ill .Such a manner as t@ be held normally in f Wheel D1 yon the shaft M. The tooth G1 the raised position. From'this position it can be depressed by the plunger R mounted in the case A. The pivoted plate O is cut away to form heel-like projections constituting paivls S2, S2 and S4, which are adapted to engage respectively With the ratchet- Wheels E2, E3, E* to set them to sacro. lnstead, however, of a heel being provided to engage With the ratchet-Wheel on the first4 member of the train, that is, upon the spindle M, a spring-controlled pavvly T is carried. by the plate O. The plate L is slotted at L2 to allow the tongue @l to project therethrough in order to engage the end of the spindle M. The shaft M must also be returned to Zero position. lf it were not, the registering of the other wheels Would be in most cases inaccurate, since the rotation of the shaft M would commence with the tooth G1 in some intermediate position, and consequently a registrationwould occur on the disk H2 before the shaft M had completed a revolution. Further, this registration would occur at varying times, according tothe varying position in Which the tooth G1 had been left at the end of the last trip. Obviously, therefore, the tooth G1 must be rotated backward to zero position in Order that it may always commence from a deinite point. v s

The operation of the device is as follows: The Wheel B, belonging to the usual totalizing train, gears with and drives the star o the disk F1 engages with the teeth of the star-Wheel D2 so that the star Wheel D2 is advanced one tooth for each revolution of the shaft M. The tooth G2v of the disk F2 engages with the star-Wheel D3 and so on. In'this Way, thev three numeral-bearing disks on the shafts U are driven. The numeralbearing disks on the shafts U are returned to Zero position by means of the heels S2 S3 S4 contacting With the ratchet Wheels E2 E3 E until they cease to rotate them farther backward ovving to the gaps in the ratchet Wheels. When the plunger R is operated and the plate O rotates about its pivot Q, the tongue O1 exerts a Wedge-like action upon the end of the spindle M as seen clearly in Fig. 2, and forces thek latter in an axial direction against the pressure of the spring P. By this means, the first member of the trip-registering train` is disengaged both from the second member of its own train and also from the driving Wheel B. Disengagement occurs from both trains before the heel S2 on the plate O comes into contact with its assigned ratchet-Wheelv and also before the paivl T comes into engagement with the ratchet upon the spindle M, the parts being so proportioned and placed that this shall be the case. The further movement ofv the plate O under the'action of the plunger- B,.b rings the pavvl T int-o engagement with the ratchet El on the spindle M, the axial displacement of the latter being such as to bring the ratchet-Wheel into the correct plane for this engagement. rIhe plate O is allowed to return under the action of its spring and the plunger again pressed, this oscillatory movement of the plate being repeated a suiicient number of times to bring each of the four members of the train to Zero. It Will be appreciated that the maximum displacement of any member through which it Will have to be returned to Zero Will be nine teeth and that therefore nine movements of the plate@ `will insure every member being returned to Zero. Radial grooves are provided on the face of the Wheel B, terminating at their outward ends at the spaces between the teet on the edge .of the Wheel, the object of these grooves being to `facilitate correct meshing between the teeth of the star-Wheel D1 With the Wheel B as the former is returned by the action of the spring P from the axial displacement produced by the tongue O1.

`What l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. ln a registering mechanism, the combination of a plurality of character-bearing disks; means for rotating said disks in seriatz'm; an axially displaceable shaft adapted to be rotated from an external source; means for actuating .one of said disks from said shaft; ratchets carried by said disks and the shaft respectively; a pivotally mounted plate; a cam carried by said'plate adapted to engage With and axially displace said shaft; pawls carried by said plate adapted to engage said ratchets for resetting said disks and the shaft respectively; and a spring plate engaging with said shaft for returning the same to position for actuating its respective disk. 2. Vln a registering mechanism. the combination of a train to constitute a total register; a second train to constitute a trip register connected with and adapted to be driven from a member of the first said train, a displaceable spindle upon Whichthe first member of the second said train is mounted; a ratchet Wheel carried upon the said spindle a spring-controlled pivotally-mounted lever; a cam carried upon the said lever adapted to engage with the said spindle and, by displacement thereof, to threw the said first member of the trip train out of engagement with its driving Wheel, a pavvl carried upon the lever adapted to engage With the said ratchet Wheel to re-set the said first member of the trip train to zero; and a spring to return the said first member into engagement with its driving Wheel.

3. The cembination with a registering mechanism comprising' a train of coperat- 'ing members, the first' of which is displaceably mounted; of af-resetting mechanism therefor comprising a pivotally mounted lever having an integrally formed tongue to constitute a cam to disengage the said first member of the train both from its driving mechanism and the mechanism driven by it; members carried upon the said lever to return each of the several members of the train to zero position; and means to return the first member into driven and driving engagement with its respective mechanisms.

4. The combination with a registering mechanism comprising a plurality of members to constitute a train whereof the first member is displaceable in an axial direction from its operative position, and mutilated ratchets secured to the said members; of a resetting mechanism comprising a spring-controlled pivotally mounted plate, a cam integrally formed upon the said plate and adapted on movement of the plate to effect axial displacement of the said first member of the train; members formed integrally in the plate to engage With the said ratchets other than that upon the said first member to return such ratchets step by step to their respective zero positions; a paWl carried upon the plate to engage with the ratchet upon the first said member and return it step by step to its zero position; and a spring to return the axially displaced member into engagement with its train.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

PRIMUS OTTO DORER.

Witnesses:

H. D. JAMESON, C. P. LIDDIRO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for've cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

f Washington, D. C. 

